Doctor Who_ Pyramids Of Mars Part 1

DOCTOR WHO.

AND THE PYRAMIDS OF MARS.

by TERRANCE d.i.c.kS.

Prologue.

TheLegend of the Osirians.

In a galaxy unimaginably distant from ours, on a planet called Phaester Osiris, there arose a race so powerful that they became like G.o.ds.As well as mastering technology and science, the Osirians developed powers of pure thought, bending the physical world to their will by the strength of their minds alone.As they grew in power, so they grew in wisdom-all but one. His name was Sutekh and he was great among the Osirians. But greater still was his brother Horus, whom all Osirians called leader. All but Sutekh, who hated Horus and was jealous of him .The Osirians spread throughout the galaxies of the cosmos. They ruled many worlds, and were often wors.h.i.+pped as G.o.ds. But Sutekh stayed on Phaester Osiris, their home planet, working to develop his powers so that he might one day overthrow his brother Horus.The Osirians were a long-lived race. Sutekh worked and studied for thousands of years, until his powers were truly awe-inspiring. But his mind was full of jealousy and hatred, and in time this turned to madness. Over-mastered by his own fears, Sutekh became convinced that not only the other Osirians, but all all sentient life was his mortal enemy. Not just the more intelligent life-forms, but animals. reptiles , insects, plants... Sutekh hated them all. He feared that someday, somewhere there might evolve a life-form powerful enough to destroy him. sentient life was his mortal enemy. Not just the more intelligent life-forms, but animals. reptiles , insects, plants... Sutekh hated them all. He feared that someday, somewhere there might evolve a life-form powerful enough to destroy him.An insane ambition formed in Sutekh's twisted mind. He would range through the galaxies and destroy all all life, until only he remained as unchallenged ruler. He became Sutekh the Destroyer-and he began by destroying his own planet. life, until only he remained as unchallenged ruler. He became Sutekh the Destroyer-and he began by destroying his own planet.Leaving the shattered desolation of Phaester Osiris behind him, Sutekh blazed a trail of havoc across the cosmos, wrecking and smas.h.i.+ng world after world with his t.i.tanic powers. Soon news of his madness reached fellow Osirians. Led by Horus, they began the search for Sutekh, determined to destroy him.Tracking him by his trail of destruction, they hunted him across the cosmos. At last Sutekh took refuge on an obscure planet called Earth, and here, finally, his fellow Osirians found him.The battle was long and fierce, for Sutekh was a formidable opponent. Seven hundred and forty Osirians came to Earth to combine against him, before he was finally defeated and made captive, in a land calledEgypt.They brought him before his brother Horus for judgement. Many urged that all the Osirians should link their minds and blast Sutekh from existence. But Horus would not agree. To kill Sutekh would mean that they too were destroyers. Horus decreed that Sutekh should not die but should be made eternally captive. A pyramid was built to become his prison. And since more than walls of stone were needed to imprison such a being as Sutekh, he was locked in the grip of a mighty forcefield, paralysed and utterly helpless.For even greater safety, the control-point of this forcefield was placed not on Earth, but on one of the other planets circling its sun. On Earth, a secret cult of Egyptian priests was set up, to guard the Pyramid. Satisfied that Sutekh was for ever bound, Horus and the other Osirians went on their way. What became of the Osirians no one can say. They vanished from our cosmos and were seen no more. On Earth they left behind them legends of the all-powerful G.o.ds who fought wars among themselves.Deep inside the Pyramid, Sutekh lived on. For thousands upon thousands of years he endured his long captivity. Bound by the forcefield of Horus, scarcely able to move a muscle, only his twisted brain was active. It planned and plotted without cease, waiting for the day of his escape. For Horus would not leave even Sutekh quite without hope. He had told him that escape was was possible, though the difficulties and obstacles were so great as to be almost insurmountable. possible, though the difficulties and obstacles were so great as to be almost insurmountable.The mighty civilisation ofEgyptrose and fell. Other civilisations and Empires took its place. Sutekh and Horus and the Osirians were remembered only as a legend. Still Sutekh waited in his hidden Pyramid. Until one day...

1.

The Terror is Unleashed.

In a hidden valley, s.h.i.+mmering in the blazing heat of the Egyptian sun. twomen stood gazing at the squat black shape of a Pyramid. One was an Egyptian in tattered, striped robes and red fez. The other was tall and thin, with a keen, scholarly face. Despite the heat, he wore a white tropical suit, with stiff collar and public school tie. The year was 1911, and Englishmen abroad were expected to maintain certain standards.The Englishman was Professor Marcus Scarman and he was a dedicated Egyptologist. At this moment, his eyes were blazing with controlled excitement as he gazed on the greatest discovery of his career. A secret Pyramid of unfamiliar design, tucked away in a valley still unvisited by other Egyptologists. Here was a find to make him the envy of all his rivals. Rumours of the existence of a hidden Black Pyramid, centre of some secret native cult, had long been circulating in achaeological circles. Many had scoffed at them. But Marcus Scarman had pa.s.sed long years tracking them down, spending many English sovereigns to buy information in the bazaars ofCairo. At long last he had found Ahmed, whose love of gold had finally overcome his fear. They had journeyed together into the desert for many days, and now they had arrived.Near by, a gang of half-naked Egyptian labourers squatted patiently by the tethered camels. Marcus made a brief examination of the exterior of the Pyramid, then beckoned them over. 'There's a sealed entrance-here. Shouldn't take you long to get it open. Ahmed, go and fetch two lanterns.' The labourers began swinging their picks, and Marcus watched impatiently as they chipped away mortar and started lifting aside the heavy stone blocks. As soon as the s.p.a.ce was big enough, he pushed them aside. 'All right, that'll do. Ahmed, tell them to wait here. You come with me.' Eagerly Marcus climbed through the gap, Ahmed following cautiously behind him.They found themselves in a long stone-walled tunnel. going deep into the heart of the Pyramid. Marcus pressed eagerly ahead. the tunnel led into a huge echoing burial chamber. Marcus held up his lantern and looked around. The light flickered eerily off jewelled caskets and ornately decorated golden urns. 'Perfect,' he breathed. 'Absolutely perfect and quite untouched. The reliquaries are still sealed. Great Heavens, what a find! This tomb must date back to the first dynasty of the Pharaohs.'Ahmed looked about nervously, sharing none of the Englishman's enthusiasm. In the dank, echoing darkness of the burial chamber, surrounded by mysterious shapes, he was overcome by the fear that he was blaspheming the ancient G.o.ds of his people. Surely there would be punishment...Too absorbed to notice his companion's lack of enthusiasm, Marcus moved through the chamber, till he reached the wall at its far end. The wall was hung with a jewel-encrusted tapestry of enormous value. Marcus stretched out a trembling hand and touched it reverently. 'How many thousands of years since the priests sealed the inner chamber, and draped this tapestry over the entrance?' he whispered to himself. It was obvious from the rich furnis.h.i.+ngs of the burial chamber that this had been the tomb of some great one of ancient times. But whose? Impatient to know the answer, Marcus reached out and carefully drew back the tapestry. Behind it was a wall built from blocks of stone. The mortar between them was old and crumbling-the wall would be easy to move away. As he studied it, Marcus became aware of something strange. In the centre of the wall a glowing red light had appeared. It actually seemed to come from deep inside inside the stone... Marcus turned to the Egyptian. 'Ahmed! Your lantern, man. Quickly!' the stone... Marcus turned to the Egyptian. 'Ahmed! Your lantern, man. Quickly!'Reluctantly Ahmed came forward, holding up his lantern. In the light of the two lanterns, the ruby-red glow burned even brighter.Ahmed backed away. 'It is the Eye-the Eye of Horus!' he muttered in his own language. 'It is a warning. Do not cross the threshold of the G.o.ds or you will die!' Dropping his crowbar with a clatter, Ahmed turned and ran, back down the stone pa.s.sage towards the daylight.Marcus Scarman called after him angrily. 'Come back here, I need your help!'All he heard in reply was the wailing voice of the Egyptian, echoing down the tunnel. 'If you cross the threshold of the G.o.ds you will die...''Superst.i.tious savage,' muttered Marcus. He looked back at the wall. The eerie red glow had faded. Determinedly he picked up Ahmed's crowbar. 'I've come too far to turn back now...' He jammed the crowbar into a crevice and began to heave. Mortar crumbled away beneath his onslaught. Marcus jammed the crowbar deeper. Groaning with effort he heaved again...There came a deep, hollow grinding sound, and a whole section of the wall swung away. Marcus stepped forward into the gap, and was immediately transfixed by a blaze of green light. He looked upwards. Above him there hovered an indescribably malignant face, a mask of pure evil. Marcus tried to scream but the sound was locked in his throat. Then came a sudden huge blast of sound, like a discord from some enormous organ. The wave of sound seemed to lift Marcus's body and hurl it to the ground. He lay sprawled out, limp and motionless, eyes closed and face a deathly grey.

Through the swirling chaos of the s.p.a.ce/Time Vortex, that strange continuum where s.p.a.ce and Time are one, there sped the incongruous shape of a square blue police box, light flas.h.i.+ng on the top. Inside the police box, which was not a police box at all, was a vast ultra-modern control room, dominated by a many-sided centre console of complex instruments. A tall man was staring intently into the console's glowing central column. He had a mobile intelligent face crowned with a mop of curly brown hair. A battered, broad-brimmed hat was jammed on the back of his head, an extraordinarily long scarf trailed around his neck. His usually cheerful features were set in a frown of brooding intensity.An inner door opened, and a slender, dark-haired girl came into the control room. She wore an attractive, old-fas.h.i.+oned dress. 'Look what I've found, Doctor.'The Doctor glanced at her absentmindedly. 'h.e.l.lo,Victoria.'The girl, whose name was Sarah Jane Smith, looked at him indignantly. 'h.e.l.lo who who ?' ?'The Doctor looked up, emerging from his abstraction. 'Oh, it's you, Sarah. Where did you get that dress?''I found it in the wardrobe. why , don't you like it?'The Doctor nodded vaguely. 'Oh yes, I always did. It belonged toVictoria. She travelled with me for a time.'The Doctor smiled at the memory ofVictoria, always so frightened, always trying so hard to be brave. Finally the strain had been too much for her and she'd left the TARDIS to return to Earth, though in a period much later than her own Victorian age.Sarah looked at the Doctor thoughtfully. There was no doubt about it, the Doctor in his fourth incarnation was a distinctly more elusive character. Sarah suddenly realised how little she really knew about him. She knew he was a Time Lord, with the ability to travel through s.p.a.ce and Time in the strange craft he called the TARDIS-initials which stood for Time and Relative Dimensions in s.p.a.ce. She knew, because she'd seen it happen, that he had the power to transform his appearance, replacing a damaged body with what seemed to be a completely new one.Sarah had first met the Doctor in his capacity of Scientific Adviser to UNIT, the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, that special organisation set up to protect Earth from attack from outer s.p.a.ce. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, head of UNIT's British Section, had known the Doctor for a very long time, and looked upon him as a valued colleague. Sarah had been the Doctor's companion on many adventures, both before and after his change of appearance. But she realised that the Doctor had had many lives and many companions, and that she had been involved in only a small proportion of his adventures.The Doctor's usual mood was one of infectious high spirits. But very occasionally he would lapse into a kind of brooding thoughtfulness, when it was very difficult to get through to him. She tried to cheer him up. 'So the dress wasVictoria's? Well, as long as it wasn't Albert's. I'll wear it.' The Doctor went on staring at the control column. 'Oh come on, Doctor.' said Sarah. 'That was worth a smile, surely? What's wrong? Aren't you glad to be going home?'The Doctor looked up. 'Earth isn't my home, Sarah,' he said sadly. 'I'm a Time Lord. remember , not a human being... I walk in eternity.''And what's that supposed to mean?''It means I've lived for something like-oh, seven hundred and fifty years, in your terms.''Soon be getting middle-aged,' said Sarah lightly.Once again the Doctor ignored her little joke. 'What's more,' he went on, ' it's.h.i.+gh time I found something better to do than run round after the Brigadier.'Sarah smiled. So that was it. The Doctor still resented being summoned back to Earth by the Brigadier to deal with the Zygon invasion.*Sarah sympathised but she was determined not to encourage him in his sulk. 'If you're getting tired of being UNIT's Scientific Adviser, you can always...'A sudden terrific jolt shook the TARDIS, and Sarah was flung across the console. '... resign ,' she gasped, completing her sentence. 'Doctor, what was that? What's happened?'The Doctor was too busy to answer her. His hands flickered rapidly over the console as he fought to bring the TARDIS back under control. The TARDIS rocked and spun, and a deep thrumming noise filled the air, like a discord from some giant organ. Sarah lost her hold on the console and staggered across the control room. She fell in a heap in a corner and gazed muzzily upwards. There seemed to be a cloud of smoke. Was the TARDIS on fire?A hideous face, malignant and somehow b.e.s.t.i.a.l, had formed in the smoke cloud and was glaring down at her. It seemed half human, half wolf or jackal. Sarah screamed...The apparition vanished, the organ noise stopped, the TARDIS settled down. Everything was back to normal. Sarah picked herself up and ran across to the Doctor. She grabbed his arm. 'Doctor, what was was it?' it?''The Doctor was absorbed in his instruments. 'The relative continuum stabiliser failed. Odd-that's never happened before.''No, not the upset.I mean that thing thing !-and that noise?' !-and that noise?'He gave her a puzzled look. 'What thing? What noise?'Sarah shuddered. 'It was like an organ... and I saw this horrible face... Just for a second, then it was gone.'The Doctor looked at her. Indignantly, Sarah said, 'You don't believe me, do you?''My dear Sarah, nothing hostile can possibly enter the TARDIS. Unless...' The Doctor broke off suddenly and returned to the console. 'Mental projection?' he muttered to himself. 'Mental projection of that force is beyond belief... and yet-it could explain the stabiliser failure! Now let me see, it was at this end of the spectrum...' The Doctor's hands once again began moving over the controls.Sarah tugged him away from the console. 'No, Doc-tor. Please don't try and bring it back. Whatever that thing was, it was totally evil...'There was another, smaller jolt, and the central column stopped moving. 'We've arrived, Sarah. UNIT H.Q.!' The Doctor checked the instruments, operated the door control.'Hang on a minute,' said Sarah hurriedly. 'I know we've landed somewhere. But are you sure...'She was too late. The Doctor was already outside. Sarah sighed and followed him.They found themselves in a large, well-proportioned ground-floor room, with windows facing on to a garden. The TARDIS was in a corner surrounded by huge packing cases. The room looked like a miniature museum. All around stood various forms of Egyptiana-mummy cases, funeral urns, painted wooden chests. Many were already on display and others simply scattered about. It was as though someone had brought home an enormous collection of Egyptian relics. but hadn't yet finished unpacking all of them. Sarah threw the Doctor an accusing look. 'UNIT H.Q.?'The Doctor cleared his throat. 'Ah, well... you see, we've arrived at the correct point in s.p.a.ce, but obviously not in Time. We've had a temporal reverse. Some vast energy-impulse has drawn the TARDIS off course.' The Doctor smiled, evidently quite satisfied by his own explanation.Sarah looked around. 'Are you telling me this is UNIT H.Q., years before I knew it?'The Doctor nodded. 'That's right''But it's all so different. This isn't even the same house.''No, it isn't...' Suddenly the Doctor smiled. 'Of course, this most be the Old Priory. The UNIT house was built on the same site.''So it was. The Old Priory burnt down, didn't it?'The Doctor held up his hand for silence.'What is it?''Atmosphere,' said the Doctor mysteriously. 'I sense alien vibrations. There's something very wrong here, Sarah...'A deep, discordant organ-note shattered the silence. Sarah looked fearfully at the Doctor. 'That's the noise I heard before. That thing that came into the TARDIS-it must be here, somewhere in this house...'

See 'Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster'

2.

The Mummy Awakes.

In the organ room on the other side of the house, an immaculately dressed Egyptian called Ibrahim Namin sat at the keyboard. His thin brown fingers swept across the keys, filling the room with a crescendo of discordant sound. The room quivered and shook with the deep throbbing chords. They created an atmosphere of madness, of chaos in which all normal laws were suspended. The room was thick with a sense of ancient evil.As he played, Namin glanced from time to time at an alcove just beyond the organ. In it stood an upright Mummy casket, richly decorated, flanked by four ceremonial urns. Namin's music was a kind of prayer, a tribute to his G.o.ds. He was the High Priest of the Cult of the Black Pyramid.Namin had served the Cult all his life, like his ancestors before him. For thousands upon thousands of years the priests had served the high ones who built the Pyramid, carrying out the proper ceremonies, ensuring that the Black Pyramid in its secret valley remained inviolate. Then scholars from the West had come with their expeditions, prying into the ancient secrets. One day Namin heard the news he had al-ways dreaded-an archaeological expedition was on its way to the Black Pyramid.Namin and his fellow-priests had sped there at once. The fleeing Ahmed and the terrified labourers had all been captured and killed instantly, their bodies buried in the desert. Then, in fear and trembling, Namin had entered the desecrated Pyramid, prepared to die for having failed his trust. To his terror and delight, one of the Great Ones had spoken to him. All was well. The Great Ones were not displeased-the opening of the Pyramid was a part of their plan. Namin had been given his orders. Now, in a strange land wearing strange clothes, he served the Great Ones as before. At first Namin had been very puzzled by these orders. In the Secret Writings of his cult it was laid down that the Pyramid most never never be broken into, or the most terrible disaster would overwhelm the world. be broken into, or the most terrible disaster would overwhelm the world.But Sutekh, the Great One within the Pyramid, had told him the writings were mistaken. The Pyramid was a prison in which he had been cast by treachery, thousands of years ago. Now the time was approaching for his release. Soon Sutekh would return to rule the world. Ibrahim Namin and his fellow-priests would be exalted as they had been in ancient times, rulers of the people, and servants of the Great Ones.Many and complicated were the tasks that had been laid upon Ibrahim Namin. He had to go to a hotel in Cairo, posing as the servant of Professor Scarman, and obtain the Professor's luggage. He had to hire workmen to make wooden crates, and porters to carry them to the Pyramid.Inside the Pyramid, many sacred objects were packed by the hands of Ibrahim and his fellow priests. All these crates had first to be taken to Cairo, then s.h.i.+pped to England. Strangest of all, Ibrahim Namin was ordered to accompany them to this house in England, guarding them most strictly all the while. Once in the house, he was to install himself and wait, allowing no one to enter or to touch the sacred relics.All this Namin had done. But he was not too happy in England. Although Collins, the servant of the house, had accepted his letter of authority, it was clear that he was puzzled and suspicious. The brother of Professor Scarman had also been a source of trouble, protesting vigorously when barred from the house. A certain Doctor Warlock in the village had written a letter inquiring about Professor Scarman. Namin had ignored it. On his rare visits to the village, he was aware of a climate of hostility and suspicion. Surrounded by infidels and strangers, Namin pined for the burning deserts of his own country. He began to dream of the day when he would return as a great man, no longer priest of an obscure sect but king, a ruler of the world on behalf of the Great One. He hoped the time would not he long in coming... Something disturbed his reverie. He looked up angrily. Through the clamour of his own playing, he could hear a knocking at the door.In the corridor outside, an elderly man in the formal black clothes of an upper servant was hammering on the heavy wooden door. He had little hope that Namin would hear him over the noise of the organ, or would bother to answer if he did. But Collins had been in service all his life. Even though things at the Old Priory had changed so drastically, he still knew the proper way to behave in a gentleman's household.Salvaging his conscience with another barrage of knocks, Collins flung open the door. Namin looked up angrily from the keyboard, still cras.h.i.+ng out great discords on the organ.Collins called, 'Excuse me, sir...' but his quavery old voice was swallowed up by the noise.Namin shouted, 'Get out. Get out of here!' He rose from the organ, and as the thundering discords died away. Namin stalked angrily towards the old servant. 'How dare you disturb me! Get out at once.'Collins stood his ground. 'I'm sorry, sir. But the gentleman insisted.''Gentleman?What gentleman?''An old friend of Professor Scarman's, sir.'Namin's black eyes blazed with fury. 'I ordered that no one was to be admitted, Collins. I told you no callers.'A burly figure in country tweeds shouldered his ay past Collins and into the room. 'Don't blame Collins, sir. I'm afraid it's a case of forced entry. Since you didn't answer my letter...'Namin glared angrily at the intruder. 'This is an outrage...''Call it what you like. I've a few questions to put to you, and I'm not leaving till I've asked them.'Namin looked thoughtfully at the ruddy-faced, balding figure in front of him. A typical English country gentleman, with all the unthinking arrogance of his kind. Clearly he wouldn't give up easily. Controlling his anger Namin said, 'All right, Collins. you may go.' Thankfully Collins scuttled away. Namin turned to his visitor. 'So! You have questions, have you? May I ask who you are?''My name's Warlock. Doctor Warlock. Live in the village. Marcus Scarman happens to be my oldest friend.'Namin gave a curt nod. 'I am Ibrahim Namin. I-''I know your name,' interrupted Warlock brusquely. 'It's your business I'm concerned with. Called at the Lodge on my way up, had a word with Laurence. He tells me you've had the infernal impudence to bar him from this house.''I am acting on the direct orders of Professor Scarman.''Marcus Scarman ordered you to shut out his own brother? I don't believe it.'Namin made a mighty effort to control himself . 'I have Professor Scannan's letter of authority. I have brought from Egypt all the relics discovered by the Professor on his recent expedition. My orders are to store them safely, and to allow no one admittance to the house until the Professor himself returns.' Namin's voice rose to an angry shout. 'And that is the end of the matter, Doctor Warlock!'Warlock was quite unimpressed. 'Oh no it isn't, sir. Not by a long chalk!'In the corridor outside, Collins listened to the angry voices, shaking his head in dismay. He was confused and frightened by all that had happened since Namin's arrival, but had thought it best to accept the orders in the letter. Now Warlock's visit was making him wonder if he'd done the right thing after all.He turned to go, looking worriedly around the hall. Something caught his eye. The handle of a door on the far side of the hall was moving moving . Collins saw it turn, first one way and then the other, as someone tried to open the locked door... . Collins saw it turn, first one way and then the other, as someone tried to open the locked door...On the other side, the Doctor took his hand away from the door-k.n.o.b. 'Why bother to lock all these internal doors?' he asked aggrievedly.Sarah shrugged. 'Obviously this wing of the house isn't in use. It smells awfully musty.''More Mummy than musty,' said the Doctor cheerfully. The challenge of a new adventure had restored his usual good spirits. He produced a wire contraption from his pocket. 'French picklock. Never fails. Belonged to Marie Antoinette, charming lady, pity she lost her head poor thing...'Sarah grinned at the Doctor's flow of cheerful nonsense. Suddenly she tensed. From the other side of the door came the sound of a key turning in a lock. The Doctor took Sarah's arm and led her away.Collins opened the door into the pa.s.sage. It was empty. Puzzled he moved along to the Egyptian Room. When Collins came in, the Doctor was leaning against a packing case, hands in his pocket, chatting to Sarah. 'A house like this would make an ideal headquarters for some semi-military organisation,' he was saying. 'This room could easily be converted into a laboratory...'Collins looked at the two intruders in astonishment. 'Who are you? How did you get in here?''We popped in through the window,' said the Doctor airily. 'I understood the property was for sale. I wanted to take a look.'Collins was shaking his head shrewdly. 'You're not fooling me, sin You came with Doctor Warlock, didn't you?''Did we?'Collins gave a knowing nod. 'Asked you to scout round, didn't he, while he kept his nibs busy?' The old man's face became suddenly grave. 'Listen, sir, if you are are a friend of Doctor Warlock's- tellhim to watch out!' a friend of Doctor Warlock's- tellhim to watch out!''Watch out for what?' asked Sarah.Collins turned to her. 'That Egyptian gentleman's got the temper of the devil, miss. No telling what he might do if he knew you'd been here, in the Egyptian room.'The Doctor glanced round the cluttered room. 'A live Egyptian, eh? I suppose this is where he keeps his relatives?' The old man looked blankly at him. 'Relatives... Mummies Mummies ... said the Doctor hopefully. 'Oh, never mind.' ... said the Doctor hopefully. 'Oh, never mind.''Ifs no joke, sir,' said Collins sternly. 'Mr Namin's only been here a short while, but I can tell you, I wouldn't be staying myself only... well I've worked for the Scarmans for a very long time. I keep hoping Mr Marcus will come back.'As he talked the old man kept looking nervously over his shoulder.'You're frightened,' said the Doctor suddenly. 'What are you afraid of?'Collins lowered his voice. 'He locked this wing. Ordered it all sealed off. He'd go stark, staring mad if he caught me me in the Egyptian room, and as for you two... Please go now, sir, for my sake.' in the Egyptian room, and as for you two... Please go now, sir, for my sake.'The Doctor looked thoughtfully at him. 'I see... Well, if it's like that, perhaps we had better leave.'He moved towards the door, but the old man caught his sleeve. 'Not that way, sir, he might see you. Go the way you came-through the window.'Trapped by his own story, the Doctor glanced at Sarah, then turned back to the old man. 'As you wish,' he said gently.They moved to the window. The Doctor opened it and started to climb out. Collins leaned closer to him and whispered, 'Remember to tell Doctor Warlock what I said, sir.''I'll remember, don't worry.' The Doctor helped Sarah through the window and Collins closed it behind them.Old Collins watched the disappearance of the Doctor and Sarah with great relief. They'd seemed pleasant enough, but there would be the devil to pay if that Egyptian discovered they'd been in the house. Particularly in the Egyptian room, which was his particular obsession.Collins looked round the room sadly, remembering the long hours Mr Marcus used to spend here, sorting through all his Egyptian stuff. Nasty old rubbish, Collins called it. But Mr Marcus was mad on it, had been ever since he was a child. From the very beginning he'd turned this room into a kind of museum, with all his treasures proudly displayed.Collins looked gloomily at the pile of packing cases. Now there was a fresh batch of the stuff, cluttering up the house. No doubt Mr Marcus would want it all unpacked, the minute he got home.Collins frowned at the sight of a tall blue box in the corner. He didn't remember seeing that one before. It had probably been delivered while he was in the village... Crates had been arriving from Egypt for days now. Heaven knows how much more junk would turn up before Mr Marcus arrived to deal with it.Muttering and grumbling to himself, Collins began shuffling around the room. He fished out an old rag and did a bit of defiant dusting. Whatever that Egyptian gentleman said, he wasn't going to neglect his duties. He dusted one of the newly-arrived Mummy cases, glaring at it disapprovingly. It wasn't the first Mummy they'd had in the house, of course. Mr Marcus had explained all about Mummies, but Collins still didn't care for them. As far as he was concerned, a dead body was a dead body and its place was in a cemetery, not in a gentleman's house.Absorbed in his dusting and his grievances, old Collins didn't notice when the lid of one of the Mummy cases started to open. It opened further, then further, swinging fully back with a crash. Collins looked up in horror as a huge bandage-wrapped figure began stalking towards him...

The Doctor and Sarah were moving through a dense shrubbery, which ran close to the side of the house. All around them was the beauty of an English country garden in summertime. The smooth green lawn, broken up with hedges and flower-beds, stretched away to the woods which surrounded the house. There was the hum of bees around a white-painted hive, the occasional chirrup of a bird. It was hard to reconcile this peaceful scene with the atmosphere of exotic horror in the room they had just left.Sarah caught up with the Doctor and whispered, 'Where are we going?''I'm rather interested to see what this fearsome Egyptian looks like, aren't you?'Sarah wasn't, but before she could say so, they heard angry voices from a near-by ground-floor window. One voice was gruff and very English, the other smooth and sibilant, with a marked foreign accent.'Humbug!' roared the English voice. 'Utter humbug! That letter is a fabrication if ever I saw one.''You allege that it is forged?' hissed the foreign voice angrily.'I do, sir, and I intend to prove it.''I warn you, Doctor Warlock, do not interfere!''Are you threatening me, sir?'Intrigued by this very promising quarrel, the Doctor and Sarah edged closer to the window.Inside the organ room.Warlock and Namin stood glaring at each other. Warlock was bristling like an angry bulldog, and Namin was quivering with rage. 'It is not I I who threaten,' he whispered. 'There are ancient forces gathering in this place. Powers of ancient purpose, beyond the comprehension of mere unbelievers.' who threaten,' he whispered. 'There are ancient forces gathering in this place. Powers of ancient purpose, beyond the comprehension of mere unbelievers.''Powers of ancient balderdas.h.!.+' said Warlock contemptuously. 'Let me warn you. Namin, unless you give me some honest answers, I'm going straight to the police.''To tell them what?That some suspicious foreigner is actually daring to live in Professor Scarman's house?'Warlock's voice was calm and determined. 'To tell them that Professor Scarman has not been seen for weeks. To tell them that he left Cairo quite some time ago, and no one has seen him since. Oh yes, I've had inquiries made in Egypt...'A quavering scream, suddenly cue off, echoed through the room. 'What the devil...' said Warlock. He ran from the room, heading in the direction of the sound. The Egyptian hesitated, then followed.The window slid cautiously open, and the Doctor and Sarah started to climb in.Doctor Warlock rushed into the Egyptian room, then stopped abruptly. The dead body of Collins lay on the floor, bulging eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling. Horrified, Warlock knelt by the body, not noticing that a near-by Mummy case was quietly closingWarlock looked up as Namin hurried into the room. 'The poor fellow's been strangled.'There was no shock or horror on Namin's face, only a look of exaltation. His voice was triumphant. 'The G.o.ds have returned! I, Ibrahim Namin, servant of the true faith, rejoice in their power!''Fellow's cracked,' thought Warlock to himself. He stood up. 'We'd better get the police, the murderer can't have got far.'Namin rounded on him. 'You blind pathetic fool! The servants of the all-powerful have arisen. When the temple is cleansed of all unbelievers, the high ones themselves will come among us. Thus it was written.'More than ever convinced that he was dealing with a madman, Warlock spoke soothingly. 'Yes, I see, old chap. Still, I think the police...' His voice tailed off. A small black automatic had appeared in Namin's hand.Menacingly the Egyptian said, 'You should have listened when I told you to leave, Doctor Warlock. Now you have seen too much. You shall be the second unbeliever to die!' He levelled the gun at Warlock's heart.The Doctor appeared silently in the doorway behind Namin. Just as the Egyptian pulled the trigger, the Doctor's scarf looped out over his head and shoulders, jerking backwards. The gun exploded, and Warlock staggered, clutching his shoulder.The Doctor tried to get hold of the gun, but Namin was lithe and active, and seemed incredibly strong. He twisted the barrel of the automatic towards the Doctor's head, just as the Doctor gave him a shove that sent him flying across the room. Namin landed in the corner, the gun dropping from his hand. Quickly the Doctor and Sarah bustled the reeling Warlock from the room, slamming the door behind them.Namin scrambled cat-like to his feet, picking up the gun. He seemed about to set off in pursuit, then suddenly stopped himself . The gun disappeared inside his coat, and Namin straightened his clothing and smoothed his hair. He moved to a near-by Mummy case and flung it open. Inside stood the huge bandage-wrapped figure of a Mummy. Namin raised his hand, and the ornate ruby ring on his finger glowed bright go red. 'Arise!' he chanted. 'In the name of the High Ones; I command thee-arise!'Slowly, the Mummy stepped from the case.

In the hall Sarah supported the wounded Warlock, while the Doctor dragged a heavy chest across the floor and jammed it against the door to the East Wing. 'That should hold him for a while. Right, come on!' They ran out of the house by the front door. Behind them the barricade began to shake under the impact of a powerful shove.On the other side, Namin found the weight of the chest too much for him and stepped aside. He spoke to the towering form beside him. 'Open it,' he commanded. The Mummy stalked forward. It smashed open the barricaded door with ease, sending the heavy chest flying across the hall to crash against a distant wall.Namin ran into the hall, the Mummy close behind him. 'This way!' ordered the Egyptian. Followed by his ghastly servant, he hurried across the hall and through the open front door.The Doctor and Sarah were deep in the woods surrounding the house. They could have escaped with ease by now, but their pace was slowed by the wounded Warlock. The spreading bloodstain on his shoulder was widening steadily, despite Sarah's attempts to staunch it with a handkerchief, and his face was white. Suddenly he slid to the ground. 'No good,' he muttered, 'can't go further.'The Doctor looked back. They were still quite close to the house. 'I'm afraid you must,' he said urgently. 'We're sitting ducks out here in the open.'Warlock shook his head. 'I... can't... Get to the Lodge... just by main gates. Tell Laurence... Scarman's brother. He lives there...'Warlock's head rolled back. He was unconscious.The Doctor straightened up. 'He needs help badly. Sarah, you go on and find this Laurence.''What about you?''I'll manage,' said the Doctor cheerfully. 'Now go, we'll only slow you down.'Sarah knew it was no time to argue. She nodded and ran off, slipping quickly through the trees. The Doctor grabbed the inert form of Warlock and hoisted it over his shoulder. In the process he dislodged his hat, which dropped softly to the leaves underfoot. Not bothering to pick it up, the Doctor set off after Sarah at a stumbling run.Minutes later, Namin came through the trees, the Mummy just behind him. The Egyptian's eyes gleamed in triumph at the sight of the battered broad-brimmed hat on the ground. He turned to the Mummy, and made a sweeping gesture. 'Circle around the edge of the wood and get ahead of them.'Moving swiftly despite its huge bulk, the Mummy stalked away. Namin drew his gun, and set off on the trail of the Doctor.Stumbling and gasping for breath, Sarah ran through the woods. Through the trees she saw a high brick wall, a pair of heavy iron gates and a low cottage-like building just inside them. Sarah gave a gasp of relief and started to run faster. Suddenly she heard a thunderous cras.h.i.+ng sound coming towards her. She dived for the cover of a clump of bushes, wriggling deep inside them. From her hiding place she sate with amazement the giant form of an Egyptian Mummy stalking along. Somehow it had got ahead of her. Now it was moving back through the woods-towards the Doctor and Warlock. Instinctively Sarah moved to warn them-then stopped. There was nothing she could do. Better to obey the Doctor's original instructions and get help from the Lodge. She ran towards the little building.In the heart of the wood, the Doctor stumbled on. Warlock was a big heavy man, and with such a burden even the Doctor couldn't move very fast. Not could he watch his footing. He stepped on a dry branch, and it cracked with a noise like a pistol-shot. The Doctor paused, listening. In the woods behind him Namin , gun in hand, stood listening too. He smiled in satisfaction, and went on, following the direction of the noise.Suddenly the Doctor heard the sounds of close pursuit. Wearily he lowered Warlock to the ground. What was he to do now? There was no real cover near by, and unless he abandoned the wounded Warlock, no hope of running.The Doctor stood quite still, listening keenly. For a moment the noises stopped too, then they began again. The Doctor was as motionless as any Indian warrior, trying to sort out the meaning of the sounds.There were two pursuers, he decided. The smaller one was behind him moving quickly and fairly quietly. The larger was somewhere ahead, cras.h.i.+ng through the bushes with no attempt at concealment.The Doctor guessed the smaller one was Namin. But the larger... he had no idea. Clearly Namin had called on some huge and powerful ally.The Doctor went on listening. The two pursuers were moving through the woods in a regular search pattern, trying to trap him in a kind of pincer movement. Alone he could have slipped between them with ease. But with the weight of a very heavy wounded man on his back, flight was out of the question.The only remaining chance was concealment. There was a clump of particularly thick bushes not far away. Shouldering Warlock, who was moaning and breathing stertorously, the Doctor moved towards them. The thick branches and leaves made a kind of cave, and the Doctor crawled inside dragging Warlock after him. He settled down to wait.Gun in hand Namin ran through the woods. He knew the fugitives wouldn't travel very fast, burdened as they were with a wounded man. Namin's plan was simple. He hoped to drive the Doctor and his friends into the arms of the Mummy. If it caught them, it would dispose of them soon enough. And if he himself got a clear sight of them, he would simply shoot them down.In his hiding place, the Doctor lay quietly waiting. Beside him Warlock moaned, and the Doctor put a gentle hand over his lips to quiet him.From outside, the Doctor heard the sound of approaching movement. As if guided by some uncanny instinct, both both his pursuers seemed to be making straight for his hiding place. He was trapped. his pursuers seemed to be making straight for his hiding place. He was trapped.

3.

The Servants of Sutekh.

A deep, booming sound echoed through the woods, like cras.h.i.+ng discords from some enormous organ. In their different parts of the wood, Namin and the Mummy stopped dead. Namin turned to face the house, his face exultant. 'The all-powerful one descends. Oh n.o.ble G.o.d, your servant hears your voice.' He started running towards the house. At the same moment, the Mummy began stalking in the same direction.The Doctor listened, puzzled, as the sound of Namin's movements suddenly moved away away from him. The second pursuer, the larger one, was moving too. The sound came closer, then died away, as it moved past him somewhere just out of sight. from him. The second pursuer, the larger one, was moving too. The sound came closer, then died away, as it moved past him somewhere just out of sight.The Doctor was about to pick up Warlock when he heard someone else coming towards him. He grabbed a fallen branch for a club and stood ready to defend himself. He tossed it aside with relief as Sarah and a small round-faced man appeared through the trees. Sarah performed breathless introductions. 'Doctor, this is Laurence Scarman. Mr Scarman, this is the Doctor.'Laurence gave the Doctor a puzzled look, then moved straight to his old friend. 'Oh the poor chap,' he said fussily. 'Is he badly hurt? What should we do?''Get him somewhere safe and stop the bleeding,' suggested the Doctor practically.Laurence nodded. 'Yes, of course. We'll take him back to the Lodge.'The Doctor and Laurence raised Warlock between them, and began half-carrying, half-dragging him away. Sarah moved close to the Doctor. 'Listen,' she whispered, 'I saw a Mummy. A walking Mummy!''Nonsense, Sarah. Mummies are eviscerated, embalmed corpses. They do not walk.'But I tell you I saw saw one.' one.''Never mind that now,' said the Doctor impatiently. 'Give Mr Scarman a hand, Sarah. I've just remembered, I lost my hat! Be with you in a moment.' The Doctor strode away.Sarah glared furiously after him, opened her mouth, that it again, and helped Laurence carry Warlock towards the Lodge.Distantly from the house they heard the deep rolling notes of the organ.Inside the sitting room of the Lodge, Laurence fussed round with towels, bandages and hot water, while the Doctor, now returned with his recovered hat, swiftly and efficiently dressed Warlock's wound.When Warlock was comfortably settled on an enormous sofa, his shoulder bandaged and his arm in a sling, Sarah had time to look around her. It was evident that if his brother was obsessed with Egypt's past, Laurence Scarman's interests were all turned towards the future, and particularly the future of Science. The sitting room was cluttered with a variety of scientific devices, most of them obviously rigged-up by Laurence himself. The heavy old-fas.h.i.+oned equipment, with its bra.s.s and mahogany fittings, was the kind of thing Sarah remembered seeing on childhood visits to the Science Museum.Warlock's eyes flickered open, and Sarah leaned over him.'How do you feel? Is there anything I can get you?'Warlock looked vaguely at her. Sarah guessed he was suffering from delayed shock. 'No... no ...' he muttered. 'I'm all right now... must rest.' His head nodded and his eyes closed.'That's right, have a good sleep,' said Sarah gently. She settled him comfortably on the pile of sofa cus.h.i.+ons.The Doctor, meanwhile, was prowling interestedly round the room, peering at the various pieces of equipment. He looked up as he saw Laurence Scarman heading for the door. 'Where are you off to, old chap?''To fetch the police, of course.I mean, in view of what you've been telling me...'The Doctor shook his head reprovingly. 'No, no, no, Mr Scarman, this is much too grave a matter for the police.'Laurence gaped at him. 'Too grave for the police?'The Doctor nodded solemnly. 'I'm afraid they would only hinder my investigations.'Once again Laurence could only repeat the Doctor's words unbelievingly. ' Your Your investigations?' investigations?''That's right. Why do you think I'm here? Someone is interfering with Time, Mr Scarman-and Time is my business.'Laurence moved away from the door, staring at the Doctor in total bafflement. 'Look here,' he demanded a little peevishly, 'who are are you?' you?'Absorbed in a piece of equipment, the Doctor didn't seem to hear him. Sarah felt politeness demanded some sort of reply.'I'm Sarah Jane Smith,' she said brightly, 'I'm a journalist.'Laurence looked at her sceptically. 'A journalist-I see! And your companion?''Oh he's-well he's just the Doctor. We travel in time, you see-I'm from the future.'Laurence sighed and scratched his head. 'This is all utterly preposterous, Miss Smith.''Yes it is, isn't it,' agreed Sarah sympathetically. 'I'm sorry.'The Doctor had moved to yet another piece of equipment. 'This is a most interesting contraption,' he said affably. He was looking at a gla.s.s dome which covered a number of complicated-looking valves, and a paper-roll on which rested an ink-stylus.Laurence bustled over to him. 'Kindly leave that alone,' he said severely. 'It is a delicate piece of apparatus, the purpose of which you do not understand. Furthermore, it contains a highly dangerous electrical charge!''So I perceive,' said the Doctor. 'What year is this?'Laurence stared at him. 'Year?''Simple enough question surely?''Are you telling me you don't even know the year?''If I knew I wouldn't ask, would I? Don't be obtuse, man!'Laurence controlled himself with an obvious effort. 'The year is nineteen-eleven,' he said stiffly.The Doctor beamed at him. 'Oh splendid, an excellent year. I really must congratulate you, Mr Scarman. You've invented the radio telescope about forty years too early l''That sir,' said Laurence with dignity, 'happens to be a Marconiscope. Its purpose is ''-to record emissions from the stars,' completed the Doctor.Laurence gave him a wondering look. 'Now how could you possibly know that?'The Doctor smiled. 'Well, you see, Mr Scarman, I have the advantage of being a little ahead of you. Sometimes behind you, but normally ahead of you.''I see.''No you don't, but it's nice of you to try. Now, suppose you show me how this gadget of yours works?'Laurence's scientific pride overcame his bewilderment. 'You'd like me to demonstrate?''If you please.'Laurence bent over the gla.s.s dome and flicked a number of bra.s.s switches. Immediately the Marconiscope began to hum with power, and the valves glowed brightly. The roll of paper started to revolve, and the stylus traced out a jerky pattern. 'Amazing!' said the Doctor softly.Laurence smiled shyly. 'You're very kind, Doctor.' He flicked more switches and then looked up in alarm. 'I can't switch it off!'The valves glowed more fiercely, the power-hum rose in pitch, and the cylinder of paper began to revolve faster and faster. Suddenly a valve burst with a sharp crack, and the Marconiscope juddered to a halt, giving out clouds of smoke. The Doctor fanned away the fumes with his hat. Sarah coughed and said, 'Very impressive.'Laurence shook his head. 'Extraordinary. It's never done that before.'The Doctor lifted off the gla.s.s dome and carefully removed the paper cylinder. 'Fascinating,' he muttered. 'A regular pattern, repeated over and over again.'Sarah was puzzled. 'Like an SOS, you mean?'The Doctor looked thoughtfully at her. 'I wonder... Where was your apparatus trained, Mr Scarman? Would it have been on Mars?' When Laurence nodded, the Doctor produced a small device from his pocket. He touched an inset control, and a long aerial extended itself. The Doctor adjusted more controls. 'I just want to verify the signal. No harm in double checking.' He touched a switch and the instrument began to give out a rapid regular beep, beep, beep .Laurence looked on in fascination. 'What is that thing, Doctor?''In principle, exactly the same device that you've invented, my dear fellow. Perhaps a little less... c.u.mbersome.'The Doctor listened to the beeping for a few minutes, then nodded, satisfied. 'Yes, it's the same signal all right.' He switched off the device, retracted the aerial and stowed the whole thing away in his pocket. 'Now then, pencil and paper if you please.'Laurence hurried to provide them. 'What are you going to do?''Decipher the message. It shouldn't take long. They'd try to make it easy.''Who would?'Absorbed in his calculations, the Doctor didn't seem to hear him. 'Now let me see... this this pattern recurs three times in one line, to we'll call that "E"...' pattern recurs three times in one line, to we'll call that "E"...'Sarah answered Laurence's question. 'Whoever transmitted the message, I suppose.'The Doctor's pencil sped across the paper, filling page after page with rapid calculations. Laurence and Sarah looked on, not daring to speak. At last the Doctor threw down his pencil. His face was grim. 'Got it. It says "Beware Sutekh!" ''Who's Sutekh?' asked Sarah.The Doctor was pacing about the room, his eyes staring into some unimaginable distance. 'He may be better known to you as Set,' he said absently.Sarah struggled to summon up her knowledge of Egyptology. Long ago she'd researched an article on Egyptian mythology for some educational magazine 'Wasn't Set one of the Egyptian G.o.ds? He was defeated in a great battle with Horus, the G.o.d of light.'The Doctor nodded. 'That's right. If my theories are correct, your world may be facing the greatest peril in its history.' He strode briskly towards the door.'Hey, wait for me,' called Sarah.The Doctor paused in the doorway. His voice was grave. 'No, Sarah. The forces that are being summoned into corporal existence in that house are more powerful and more dangerous than anything we've ever encountered. Stay here.''I've got a hunting rifle; offered Laurence. 'It might come in useful.''Certainly not,' said the Doctor severely. 'I never never carry firearms.' And with that he was gone. carry firearms.' And with that he was gone.Laurence turned to Sarah. 'I think we ought to go with him. And I should feel better if I brought a rifle.''So should I,' said Sarah grimly. 'Bring it!'She waited impatiently while Laurence fished the rifle from a cluttered cupboard, which held several other guns. There was a further wait while he found the ammunition and loaded the rifle. When at last all was ready, they hurried off after the Doctor.Night was falling as the Doctor hurried through the shadowy woods. As he neared the house, the deep throbbing notes of the organ grew louder. The hideous, discordant sounds shattered the peace of the night. Still the noise had its use, thought the Doctor. It would at least cover his approach. He went boldly up to the front door, only to find it locked. A few minutes work with his picklock took care of that. The door creaked open and the Doctor slipped into the darkened house, moving along the gloomy pa.s.sages.All was dark until he came to the organ room. An eerie green glow was s.h.i.+ning from beneath its door. The noise of the organ was terrifying. It seemed as if the old house might be shaken to pieces by the vibration. The Doctor moved to the door, opened it a crack and peered inside.Namin sat at the organ, hammering at the keys in an exalted trance. Three of the giant Mummies stood around the alcove in a half-circle. Their bandaged arms were raised as though invoking some mystic power. The fierce unearthly green glow came from the ornate urn-flanked Casket, in its special alcove. It filled the room with an eerie flickering light. Suddenly the lid of the Casket seemed to s.h.i.+mmer and dissolve. It was replaced by a spinning Vortex, a kind of whirlpool in s.p.a.ce. The Doctor thought to himself that it was like staring down an immensely long tunnel into the eye of a typhoon. The tremendous energy from the Casket dominated the room. It seemed impossible to look anywhere else.Namin stopped playing and knelt before the swirling Casket. Now, as if in reply, the deep throbbing discords seemed to come from the Casket itself. Namin raised his arms in prayer. 'All-high, all-powerful, most n.o.ble Master,' he chanted. 'Thy humble servant welcomes thee.'Far away at the end of the tunnel a figure appeared. It wore black robes, a s.h.i.+ning globe covered its head, and its feet were bare. It rushed closer and closer until it filled the entrance to the Casket...As the Doctor looked on in fascination, he heard a whisper beside him. 'Doctor...' It was Sarah. Beside her was Laurence Scarman. Totally absorbed, the Doctor waved them to silence. They crouched beside him, peering through the crack. The black-robed figure stepped from the Casket. With a thrill of horror, Sarah saw that its bare feet left charred, smoking foot-prints on the carpet.Namin knelt before the figure, his face to the ground. 'Master, at last you are here. I, Ibrahim Namin, and my forebears have served you faithfully through all the years that you have slept. We have guarded the secret of your tomb...'The figure spoke. Its voice was cold and dead. 'Stand. Look upon my face.'Namin's voice trembled. 'Oh Great One, Lord Sutekh... I dare not.''Look,' the cold voice commanded again. 'Is this the face of Sutekh?'Shuddering, Namin looked up. As the figure advanced towards him, he cringed back in sudden fear. 'Oh Master, spare me,' he shrieked. 'Spare me! I am a true servant of the great Sutekh.'The figure's hands clamped down on Namin's shaking shoulders. Immediately Namin's whole body twisted. He let out a shuddering scream and struggled to break free. His clothing began to smoulder beneath the figure's hands.'I am the servant of Sutekh,' the dead voice said. 'He needs no other.'Namin struggled wildly, but the fiery grip was strong as steel 'Die!' said the voice. 'I bring Sutekh's gift of death to all humanity.'

4.

The Return of Marcus Scarman.

The hands released their grip, and the still-smoking body dropped to the floor. Death was Ibrahim Namin's reward for a lifetime of faithful service. The black-robed figure glowed and changed changed . Its new form was that of a tall, thin man, with a scholarly face. He wore a white suit, stiff collar and public-school tie. His face was ghastly, with greyish skin, bloodless lips and red-rimmed eyes that burned like fiery coals. It was a face that meant nothing to the Doctor and Sarah. But Laurence Scarman recognised it instantly. 'It's . Its new form was that of a tall, thin man, with a scholarly face. He wore a white suit, stiff collar and public-school tie. His face was ghastly, with greyish skin, bloodless lips and red-rimmed eyes that burned like fiery coals. It was a face that meant nothing to the Doctor and Sarah. But Laurence Scarman recognised it instantly. 'It's Marcus Marcus ,' he whispered. 'That's my brother Marcus-' The Doctor grabbed Laurence's arm in a painful grip, and touched a warning finger to his lips. Laurence fell silent. ,' he whispered. 'That's my brother Marcus-' The Doctor grabbed Laurence's arm in a painful grip, and touched a warning finger to his lips. Laurence fell silent.For a moment it seemed as if Marcus Scarman might have heard the whisper from outside the door. The burning eyes swept swiftly round the room. Then, apparently satisfied, he turned to the waiting Mummies. 'Take the generator loops. Place them in position at the compa.s.s points. Activate at ground strength.' Each of the three Mummies picked up one of the urns flanking the Casket. Scarman himself picked up the fourth.As the strange procession headed for the door the Doctor whispered, 'Quick, everybody.Hide!'When Marcus flung open the organ-room doors, the pa.s.sage was empty. He led the Mummies along it, into the hall and out of the front door. In the pa.s.sage, the Doctor slid his long body from a cramped position behind a grandfather clock, and opened the lid of a large oak chest. Laurence climbed out, followed by Sarah. She looked round. 'Where have they gone?''To set up a deflection s.h.i.+eld around the house.It'll take them a while. Obviously he's planned every step.'Laurence said unbelievingly, 'Who has? Marcus?'The Doctor shook his head. 'No. Sutekh.' He led them into the organ room. 'Sutekh is breaking free his ancient bonds. If he succeeds, he'll destroy the world.''So Sutekh wasn't destroyed by Horus?' asked Sarah. 'He's still-alive?'The Doctor vcent over to the Casket, and knelt to examine it more closely. 'He destroyed his own planet, Phaester Osiris, and left a trail of havoc across half the galaxy. Horus and the other Osirians must have cornered him on Earth.''InEgypt,' said Sarah, still struggling to understand. 'What you're saying is that Horus and Set and all the other Egyptian G.o.ds were really immensely powerful aliens from some other planet. When they came to Earth, the Egyptians wors.h.i.+pped them as G.o.ds.'The Doctor nodded, running his sonic screwdriver along the side of the Casket. The war of the G.o.ds entered into Egyptian mythology. In fact their whole Egyptian culture was founded on the Osirian pattern.'Laurence Scarman had been listening uncomprehendingly. 'I'm afraid all this is beyond me.''Don't worry,' said Sarah consolingly. 'Most of it's beyond me too.'There was a triumphant exclamation from the Doctor. 'Ah, found it.' He removed a concealed panel on the side of the Casket, exposing a maze of complex circuitry. 'This is the lodestone that drew the TARDIS off course.'Laurence peered fascinatedly at the circuits. 'What is it?''The entrance to a s.p.a.ce/Time tunnel,' replied the Doctor solemnly.Sarah came over to look. 'Leading where?''To Sutekh,' said the Doctor, cautiously adjusting a circuit. Suddenly his fiddling produced dramatic results. The spinning Vortex reactivated, the organ-noise boomed out, and the Doctor was dragged closer and closer to the mouth of the s.p.a.ce/Time tunnel.'Stay back,' he yelled. Sarah and Laurence looked on helplessly. Struggling desperately, the Doctor was sucked closer and closer to the Vortex. Clinging to the edge of the Casket with one hand, he used the other to whip the TARDIS key from its chain around his neck and swing it across the Casket's mouth. There was a bang, a brilliant flash and the Vortex died away. The force of the explosion flung the Doctor backwards across the room.Sarah and Laurence ran across to the body. The Doctor was quite unconscious. Sarah knelt down, trying to revive him. 'Doctor, come on. Wake up, please!' The Doctor didn't stir.Laurence shook his head. 'It's no use. He took the full force of the blast.'Sarah looked round anxiously. 'They're bound to come back soon.''We could try carrying him to the lodge,' suggested Laurence.Sarah shook her head. 'We'd be too slow. We'd probably meet those Mummy things just outside the house. We've got to find somewhere to hide him.'Laurence's face lit up. 'Wait-there is a place. If I can still find it...' He crossed to one wall and began running his fingers over the moulding of the oak panelling.Sarah watched, puzzled. 'In here?''Somewhere here.Marcus and I discovered it as boys. We called it the priest's hole.' Suddenly a section of wall slid back, revealing a small black opening. 'There it is. There's a kind of room inside. It's not very large I'm afraid.'Sarah looked dubiously down at the Doctor. 'And he is! Help me get him inside.' They started to drag the Doctor's inert body towards the panelling.

At dawn the following day, Ernie Clements was slipping quietly through the woods around the Old Priory. The deep pockets of his coat concealed traps, snares and a sack, and he carried a folding shotgun. Ernie was a poacher, who took an almost professional pride in his work. He had long regarded the Old Priory estate as his own personal preserve. With Mr Laurence all wrapped up in his new-fangled experiments, and Mr Marcus away in Egypt half the time, there was no one to take care of the game on the estate. Who would look after the partridges and pheasants, and keep the rabbits under control, if Ernie didn't see to it? He regarded himself as the Scarmans' unpaid gamekeeper. Now, whistling silently, Ernie was moving through the woods, giving his traps a final check before going back to his cottage for a well-earned rest.Suddenly he heard the snap of a trap, and a low inhuman snarl. One of his traps had caught something-and the something sounded very much larger than a rabbit. Ernie slipped through the trees in the direction of the noise. Peering round a thick tree-trunk he froze in unbelieving horror. A giant bandage.wrapped figure was thras.h.i.+ng about and roaring, its huge foot caught in one of Ernie's traps.Ernie stared at it in amazement. One of them Egyptian mummy things, wasn't it? He'd seen pictures of them on occasional visits to the house. But those things were supposed to be dead. This one was very much alive and very angry.After struggling furiously for a few minutes, the creature wrenched the stake chain from the ground and prised open the jaws of the trap. Releasing its foot, it hurled the trap cras.h.i.+ng against a tree. Then it turned and stalked back towards the house.Shaken and trembling Ernie watched it go. He picked up the trap. The metal was mangled and twisted. Dropping it quickly, Ernie turned and ran for his life, vowing that he'd never poach again.Ernie had reached the edge of the wood around the estate when he ran into his second shock of the morning. He ran into it quite literally-it was an invisible wall. There was a crackle of static power and something something threw him back. He slowly picked himself up, recovered his gun and moved cautiously forward, hands outstretched. At the same point he felt a shock as his hands touched an invisible wall of energy. Hurriedly he drew them back. He picked up a pebble, tossed it. The pebble bounced back-off nothing. Scratching his head, Ernie turned back the way he had come. Frowning thoughtfully he made his way across through the woods, keeping well out of sight of the house. He was moving east, planning to take refuge in his old huts just on the borders of the estate. Well, it wasn't his hut, exactly. He'd found it abandoned and half ruined, so he'd patched it up and taken it over. threw him back. He slowly picked himself up, recovered his gun and moved cautiously forward, hands outstretched. At the same point he felt a shock as his hands touched an invisible wall of energy. Hurriedly he drew them back. He picked up a pebble, tossed it. The pebble bounced back-off nothing. Scratching his head, Ernie turned back the way he had come. Frowning thoughtfully he made his way across through the woods, keeping well out of sight of the house. He was moving east, planning to take refuge in his old huts just on the borders of the estate. Well, it wasn't his hut, exactly. He'd found it abandoned and half ruined, so he'd patched it up and taken it over.But Ernie wasn't able to reach his hut. On the eastern edge of the estate he ran into the same invisible wall, with the same painful results. This time he made the mistake of taking a run at it. He finished up on his back several yards away, winded and shocked. Ernie picked himself up disgustedly. But he wasn't going to give up. This time he worked his way along along the wall. He came to one of those Egyptian urn things-someone must have carried it out from the house. The urn seemed to hum, and was warm to the touch. Ernie decided to leave it alone. But he made an interesting discovery. At the urn, the invisible wall made a right hand turn-he was on the inside of an invisible corner. Doggedly Ernie traced the course of the wall. It took him a long time because the wall enclosed the entire estate. And there was an urn standing at each invisible corner... the wall. He came to one of those Egyptian urn things-someone must have carried it out from the house. The urn seemed to hum, and was warm to the touch. Ernie decided to leave it alone. But he made an interesting